How to get an early harvest of squash?
Seedling growing method squash allows you to bring the ripening of fruits closer by several weeks and is widely used by gardeners. It is especially popular in regions where spring comes late and the weather is cool for a long time.
Read also: when to plant zucchini - all the subtleties of landing.
When and how to plant seeds for seedlings?
You can start planting seeds from mid-April. Pour light and nutritious soil into small pots or plastic cups. Ready-made substrate from the store will do. If desired, prepare it yourself by mixing:
- land from the garden;
- humus;
- some sand.
Put 2 seeds in each glass, deepening them by 4 cm. Water abundantly and cover with a plastic bag. In this form, they should be in a warm place until germination (at least 25 degrees Celsius).
Before planting, rinse the seeds in potassium permanganate, rinse with clean water and dry a little. This will help prevent seedling disease.
When shoots appear, remove the shelter and transfer them to a cooler room (16-18 degrees Celsius). Keep the seedlings there for about a week until they get a little stronger, and then you can raise the temperature again.
If the temperature is not lowered in the early stages of growing seedlings, it will begin to stretch.
Care for seedlings of squash
Seedlings should be watered not very often and with a small amount of water so that they do not rot. The first feeding should be done when the seedlings are 2 weeks old, and the second (and last) one before planting in the ground.
An infusion of mullein or nitrophoska is suitable as a fertilizer.
Planting seedlings in the garden
At the age of 25 days, up to 3 true leaves will form on the seedlings. At this time, they can already be planted in the garden. In the cups where both planted seeds have sprung, choose the strongest one, and carefully cut the second one with scissors. It is not recommended to pull out, so as not to damage the fragile roots, because then both plants may not survive the transplant.
Before planting in the holes, the seedlings need to be stabbed. For this, the plants must be placed in a cold room for several hours, increasing the time over time. In sunny weather, the seedlings are put outside instead.
Squash is transplanted into open ground along with the ground, without shaking it off. After planting, spill the holes with warm water and mulch with peat.